Next New - 11/26

It seems as though the options for a new type of media, or online media, are limitless.  This has become so clear to me since the invention of the internet, really, that it's certainly not the first time I've asked myself this question.  That being said, I've come up with a few interesting ideas that I think are actually viable as forms of new media.  The best, in my opinion, is not necessarily a new idea but rather an extension of a service that most of us are familiar with - Twitter.  Specifically, my idea calls for a wider and more interactive based Twitter.  By this I mean, how can we make Twitter something that is even more accessible.  Granted, this is an objective that Twitter has had for a long time but I think they may be missing the mark.  It seems to me that their focus has been how can we connect interested parties with one another (i.e. celebrities with regular people or companies with their customers).  However, I think that it can be taken a step further.  What if Twitter transitioned its focus more locally - a way to connect residents with their landlords, students with their teachers and local businesses with their customers.  I think that as more people begin to adopt the service the practical applications will only continue to grow - and I think Wall Street agrees with me.  And so, my idea for a new type of new media is a Twitter that has the majority of its focus on local businesses and real time information that can be used to help people conduct their every day lives.  Having this information will eventually be invaluable - and there needs to be a better way of delivering it to the consumer and finding more consumers, everyday people, that will use and contribute.

BLOG: P2P

P2P, or Peer-to-Peer networks is a concept that was first introduced to me during the Napster "revolution".  All of a sudden, it seemed as though the world opened up. The average user was now able to access virtually any file he wanted, and it was all for free.  Obviously, this technology was almost universally embraced - until it became clear that this type of sharing could, and should, ultimately be construed as stealing.  Although this idea was met with much opposition and people fought for their right to share content, it became undeniable that this was not a victimless crime.  Anyway, P2P is a technology that allows every users' computer to become a hub or "node" and will allow other computers to share information, bandwidth, computing power, etc. This not only opened up  an entirely new world of sharing, it also allowed for new forms of intrusion and other malevolent actions. All of a sudden people were left wondering why their computers had become so slow, and why they now had to worry about things called viruses. Ultimately, P2P is a technology that still exists but because of pressures from content produces and security advocates I think it is also a technology that needs to change and evolve.  Some examples of P2P that you might be familiar with are Napster and Limewire.  P2P is just another example of a great idea that users began to exploit.  Sharing is definitely not a bad thing - just something to be wary of.  Don't share with everyone and don't let automatically accept things from others.

BLOG: Privacy 11/13

With new power comes new responsibility. More specifically, as we now have many more options when it comes to sharing information, personal information, we need to be more cognizant than ever of what we are sharing and who we are sharing it with.  Actually, we probably need to stop thinking about who we are sharing with when we decide to post something online.  I think we need to operate with very little to no expectation of privacy when it comes to new media.  A major draw of one new tech firm or product to another is privacy.  In fact, one of the fastest growing spaces in regard to technology is the proliferation of internet safety startups.  However, we even need to be wary of these companies as many of them have been unable to deliver on their promises.  Overall, we've entered a new realm of personal safety.  As before we only needed to be aware of our physical surroundings, now its equally as important to be mindful of where we place ourselves and our information on the web.  There are many people looking to take advantage of less savvy users who are unaware of the risks of information sharing online.  After all, the benefit of these new information economies is the mass of people one is able to reach through his internet connection.  We can't expect that all of the users who will receive the information will be good intentioned - this should be common sense learned from ordinary life experience.

Blog: Advice 11/13

The proliferation of new media is certainly something to be embraced with regard to new concepts, ideas, groups, etc. However, because of the sheer amount of these new ideas it becomes difficult to separate the "good" from the "bad". Although perhaps it doesn't hurt to try something once, it can be frustrating to find out that a new technology failed to deliver on its promise. And so, if asked to make a suggestion to Baruch about a new media that I think it should utilize I would actually suggest that it improve upon the new media it is already using.  For example, Baruch actually has its own app that I've had on my iphone for quite some time.  However, I've never actually used it because it doesn't provide any utility. Specifically, in most cases it is simply a set of bookmarks that forward the user to a webpage. Although I'm not aware of when the app was last updated and the progression that it may have made throughout its different stages of development, I think it could do a lot more for its users.  Some ideas include integration with Twitter so students can get real time updates from administration, professors, other students, etc.  This would certainly be better than the 5+ daily e-mails that the student body receives via their Baruch e-mail accounts.  Furthermore, the app can have functions that cater to say, new students who need directories or help finding new classes. I think we are now starting to realize that not all new media is helpful media and the space is becoming a little too crowded.  For the consumer this means being paying more attention to detail.

Creativity And New Media 10/29

SOUNDCLOUD: As someone who's generally shied away from social media - I do find it particularly useful when it comes to finding new content.  In this case, music. On www.soundcloud.com one is able to stream their own music creations or edited versions of their favorite artists.  Although I don't have the skill set (or rhythm) to produce my own song I've included a screenshot of one of my favorite content creators.  As you can see one is able to upload his/her mixes to the website and share them with followers.  As we are constantly searching for new sources of content it is becoming clear that maybe the best source of this content is each other.  We are all creative in one way or another - why not share it?

CIS3810 - Creativity

When it comes to technology, creativity and innovation are synonymous. We are in an an unprecedented period when it comes to the expansion of the internet and the limitless possibilities that it presents us with.  This can be examined in many ways but I'd like to focus on what I believe to be the two most important:  the consumer's response to creativity; the creator's interpretation of creativity.  In other words, we as consumers of content have consistently demanded more creative and innovative forms of information and entertainment.  From a creators's standpoint: in order to maintain and continue to attract consumers they have no choice but to be creative and innovate; if they don't they will disappear.
In a New York Times article titled, "Disney Tolerates A Rap Parody of Its Critters. But Why?" the author discusses a YouTube parody that depicts Disney characters in a fictional rap music video.  The author cites Disney's traditional, conservative stance on its characters and their representations.  However, in this case Disney doesn't seem to have a problem with the video; or they at least aren't voicing it.  I think this is the case because Disney recognizes that this type of content, although not necessarily aligned with their own values, nonetheless attracts attention.  It reminds people of Disney's presence and characters - and in today's world, that's important.
Creativity is essential.  Given today's collaborative environment we must learn to interpret things in a different way.  In a  new way. In a way that guarantees that our ideas stay relevant - even if they aren't exactly as we intended.

Blog 10/22: Modeling Reality with Virtual Worlds

I'm not very well versed in the realm of virtual worlds.  And so, this week's readings were particularly interesting.  Before I began to analyze the different ways in which these worlds can be used, I first thought about who is actually using them, today.  The first article I read (http://www.forbes.com/sites/dianemehta/2013/04/30/after-second-life-can-virtual-worlds-get-a-reboot/), addresses this question quite well in their summary of a program called Second Life. Specifically, the program was popular with people who were seeking an outlet - a world in which they can be someone else. Although I admit that at times this concept sounds interesting; in terms of socialization, what are people finding in these virtual worlds that they cannot find in "real life"?  This question, and perhaps stigma is, in my opinion, the reason why these virtual worlds have struggled in the past.  Because it's still not ok to talk about your virtual life in real life. To answer the first question, the original and most popular way that virtual worlds are being used are for social purposes.  I think that this trend will continue. However, I don't think that it will become widely adopted until we can agree, as a society, that it is equally as acceptable to socialize via the internet as it is to do so face to face.

The second article (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/fashion/22Avatar.html?_r=0) from the New York Times, takes a different look at virtual worlds - from an economic/e-commerce perspective. I was surprised to learn that virtual worlds were in 2009 a $2 billion industry - in real life dollars. Given that the article was actually written in the depths of a recession, it was surprising to me that there was such volume in the sector and even more surprising that Second Life reported at 94% surge in their virtual economy.

I think that people are clearly longing for an outlet.  A place were they can be who they want, when they want, and can actually afford to do so.  However,  I would make the argument that we should be focusing our energy and attention in improving our status in the real world rather than online.  We tend to get caught up in technological changes, we invest our time and money into them - and then realize that they were only fleeting.  Real life is here to stay.

Blog About Twitter 10//15

To be honest - this week has been my first experience having an actual discussion via Twitter.  Reluctant at first, I am starting to learn that it can, in fact, be helpful.  However, in order for it to be truly effective one needs to be constantly in touch with his/her Twitter account.  More specifically, as Professor Weisel suggested, Twitter can become confusing when tweets aren't referenced immediately. Referred to as "re-tweeting",  in order to maintain the fluidity of the conversation, one must be aware of who tweeted and when.  I can imagine that during a substantial exchange between users, the exact progression of the conversation could, potentially, become misleading. However, once one becomes attune to how Twitter works it can be the ideal platform for a real-time exchange between participants around the world.
I would say that Twitter needs to continue to integrate their messaging service with real world applications.  More specifically, I value the information and exchange that is available - but I don't want to constantly check my browser or phone for an update.  If Twitter can come up with new ways of making their feeds "jive" with real world applications it would make the company even more valuable - especially as they approach their IPO.

Social Networking Sites 10/15

It's been a long time since I've used any of the referenced social networking sites.  Probably because I value privacy over publicity.  However, I have at a certain point in time used all of the following: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and LinkedIn.  I've gathered impressions of each of these and they are detailed below.
I think it's interesting that as new of a concept as social media is, each of the above services has carved out its own niche in society. I think each of them accomplishes their perceived goals reasonably well.  For example, Facebook, in my mind, is the social media platform of choice for connecting friends - just friends.  Although many businesses, groups, organizations, etc. have a presence on Facebook, my impression is that these users should focus on exploiting other services (e.g. Twitter).  As I tweeted on my twitter account, many businesses (large and small) are finding that they can successfully reach their clientele through twitter in real time.  I think that this is something that would be considerably more difficult through Facebook.
The one social media platform that I do currently use is LinkedIn.  Although not extensively, I have had moderate success connecting with colleagues through the service, however, this has yet to lead to any substantial opportunity.  Perhaps I need to further explore these platforms - and I look forward to doing so through CIS3810.

Social Networking 10/8

It's interesting to note that social networking began (for most of us) on just that, a social level.  As its efficacy has been reinforced by the successes of Myspace and Facebook, corporations began to embrace the utility of connecting people in new ways.  In regard to collaboration, the ease of virtually connecting with a co-worker, whether he shares an office or is working remotely, is unprecedented and I would argue universally valued.  However, a direct result of this ease is a decrease in peer to peer interaction. Although it's probably still too early to make a definitive judgement, many would argue that this lack of personal interaction is resulting in diminishing social skills, and ability to collaborate on an more direct, impromptu way.
As outlined in a 2007 BloombergBusinessweek article Why Is Nissan Mimicking Myspace?, Nissan Motors actually created their own social networking system exclusively for employees. Inspired by a similar network introduced by IBM Social Networking At IBM in years prior,  Nissan's system allows employees to share raw information, ideas, and create special interest groups. I would be curious to see how viable this network actually is today, given that it was created over 5 years ago. Also, is this type of network appropriate in all types of industry?  For example, it seems only natural that a technology innovator like IBM would adopt this sort of idea.  However, how approrpriate is this idea for an automaker? Is it necessary? How will these companies measure any increase or decrease in productivity resulting from this type of experimentation?

Blog V. Wiki

Both blogs and wikis provide us with relatively new vehicles for real-time sharing of information.  While the goal of this blog is not to discuss the evolution of information sharing technologies, it's important to recognize that these ideas are still novel and have yet to be fully explored.  As far as that goes, there are a few distinctions between the two that need to be recognized.  The first, is that a blog is best for displaying information with an emphasis on chronology.  This makes it best suited for showing progressions of both thought and perhaps individual projects.  On the other hand, a wiki does not maintain this chronological focus and instead allows for (in my opinion) a more powerful attribute: collaboration.
We often give the "internet" credit for group accomplishments - as though the internet was a contributor.  We should, conversely, credit collaboration for many of these feats.  More specifically, because the internet has effectively removed logistical barriers, it has allowed us to work together in ways never before possible. It is this "teamwork" that is responsible for these new forms of thought.
I think both of these technologies are still in their infancy.  After all, collaboration as an idea is nothing new, wikis and blogs simply allow us to accomplish it more easily.  That being said, the progression will be perpetual and so will the evolution of the technologies that support it.
I think the Wiki's should be expanded to better facilitate real time group projects.  For example, it could become a real time portal for constant collaboration in dealing with specific issues. Instead of being a page that shares information, it can transform into a live, working, problem solving vehicle.  By doing this we can effectively have the entire world working on the same problem, at the same time.

Project Proposal: Groupon

• A: RESEARCH. Pick a new media technology to research (see below, also many of them are linked to from our Blackboard course site). Discuss from multiple perspectives, e.g.:, economic perspective; sociological perspective; technological perspective; moral, anthropological, educational, etc. You do not have to use all these perspectives, but you must use SEVERAL.

For my project (research), I've decided to select Groupon.  I think that the company, which is now publicly traded, can be viewed from a number of different perspectives. Given their recent success and novel business model, the analysis of such a company will probably make for a good debate.  The economic, social, technological, and other perspectives lenses are ideal for a start-up of this type.